Cycle.



No. 700,010. PATENTED JULY 20, 1904. L. ZBLENKA.

CYCLE. APPLIUATION FILED 001113, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wf rA/ce Es /A/ V55/v To@ Q a' 0MM l www Macs No. '766,0l0. PATENTED JUIY 26, 1904.

L. ZELENKA.

CYCLE.

APPLIOATION FILED ooT.1s, 190s.

No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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W/rA/Efs y /A/VEA/fof? UNITED STATES Patented July 26, 1904.

PATENT OEETCE.

CYCLE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,010, dated July 26, 1904.

Applica-tion filed October 13, 1903.

To all .wh/0m, it may concern..-

Be it known that l, LEOPOLD ZELENKA, a

residing at Mistek, Moravia, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cycles, of which the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to cycles, and comprises driving mechanism whereby the transmission is effected through the agency of pedal-levers, provision being made for varying the length of the pedal-lever arms and also the points of suspension for the pendulumrods of such levers. By the adjustability of the levers therate of transmission may be adapted-for instance, in the case of luggag'ecarriers-to the weight to be transported by the cycle, so that with a light weight a great speed may be attained and that conversely with a small speed a heavy weight may be carried, the product of the weight into the speed remaining practically the same Within certain limits.

ln the accompanying drawings l have shown a bicycle provided with the improved driving mechanism.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 a rear elevation, of the machine. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and Fig. 5 a rear elevation, partly in section, showing the arrangement of the pendulum-rods. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified device for adjusting the upper end of the pendulum-rods on the rear frame-tube. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 8 is a section on line A B of Fig. 6.

The frame a of the bicycle has at its rear end a bracket fixed to the top frame-tube and to the back-fork ends and carrying at the rear of the back wheel a bearing for a shortI shaft Z), which has secured upon it at one end a driving sprocket-wheel c and at the other end a crank (Z. To a crank pin e, fixed to the sprocket-wheel c and to the pin on the crank (Z, are pivoted two levers f, carrying at their free ends the pedals g. The levers f are connected by bolts ZL with the lower forked ends of pendulum-rods z', the upper ends of which are pivoted to a sliding piece j, which can be Serial No. 176,902. (No model.)

adjusted on the top frame-tube Zr, extending over the back wheel. subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary,

In order to obtain a sure hold for the sliding piece j, a portion of the frame-tube Zn is flattened and furnished with a row of holes corresponding to those in the sliding piece j, which may thus be fixed at different points of the frame-tube ZC by means of a bolt j', Fig. 4. This` adjustability is desirable, because the lower ends of the pendulum-rod a' can also be adjusted in a slot Z of the pedal-lever f for the purpose of enabling' the rate of transmission to be changed.

In order to render the pedal-leversf as light as practicable, they are provided with a tension device consisting of a wire m, Which passes over a distance rod or prop, placed in proximity to the said slot Z, to the ends of the lever. The bolt at the lower end of the left pendulum-rod c' is furnished with a step 0.

ln lien of pivoting the upper ends of the pendulum-rods c' to a sliding piece j, adapted to be adjusted on a flattened part of the top frame-tube, as set forth, l may also arrange, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, guide-rods@ on the side of the frame-tube Zr, small cross-heads q for receiving the forked upper ends of the pendulum-rods being adapted to be displaced and fixed upon the said guide-rods p, as will be readily understood.

Itis evident that the improved driving meehanism may be easily applied to old cycles.

l/Vhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

1. In a cycle of the character described, a top frame-tube extending over the back wheel, a bracket fixed to the same and to the backfork ends, a shaft held at the rear end of the bracket behind the back wheel, a driving sprocket-wheel and crank carried by this shaft, crank-pins fixed on the sprocket-Wheel and crank, pedal-levers pivoted to these crankpins, and pendulum-rods pivoted at their npper ends to the said top frame-tube and at their lower end to the pedal-levers, substantially as therein set forth.

2. In a cycle of the character described, a top frame-tube extending over the back Wheel, a bracket fixed to the same and to the backfork ends, a shaft held at the rear end ofthe bracket behind the back wheel, a driving sprocket-Wheel and crank carried by this shaft, crank-pins fixed on the sprocket-Wheel and crank, pedaldevers pivoted to these crankpins and furnished with slots, bolts adjustably secured in these slots, and pendulumrods pivoted at their upper ends to the said top frame-tube and at their lower ends to the bolts held in the said slots, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a cycle of the character described, a top frame-tube extending over the back Wheel and furnished with a row of holes, a bracket fixed to the saine and to the back-fork ends, a shaft held at the rear end of the bracket behind the back Wheel, a driving sprocketnvheel and crank carried by this shaft, crank-pins fixed to the sprocket-Wheel and crank, pedallevers pivoted to these crank-pins, a sliding piece adapted to be adjusted upon the said top frame-tube, a bolt passing through the sliding piece and one of the holes in this frametube, and pendulum-rods pivoted at their upper ends to the said sliding piece and at their lower ends to the pedal-levers, substantially as herein set forth.

4C. In a cycle of' the character described, a top frame-tube having part of it flattened at the sides and furnished with a row of holes, a bracket fixed to the same and to the backfork ends, a shaft held at the rear end of' the bracket behind the back wheel, a driving sprocket-Wheel and crank carried by this shaft, crank-pins fixed to the sprocket-Wheel and crank, pedal-levers pivoted to these crankpins, a sliding piece adapted to be adjusted upon the flattened part of the said top frame* tube, and pendulum-rods pivoted at their upper ends to the said sliding piece, and at their lower ends to the pedal-levers, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LEOPOLD ZELENKA.

vWitnesses:

EMERICH BoNDi, ALvEsTo S. HoGUE. 

